Wave-motor.



H E. HSHER.

WAVE MOTOR,

APPLICATION FILED was. 1914.

Patented 001;. 12, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

. EITTH: 3 5::

QM w H. E. FISHER.

WAVE MOTOR. APPLICATION FILED AUG.3. 1914.

Patented Oct. 12, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

FEE.

HERBERT E. FISHER, or sen FRANCISCO, onnironnm.

WAVE-Moron.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented net. is, rare.

Application filed August 3, 1914, V Serial No. 856,310.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT E.- FIsHnn, a. citizen of the United States, residing in the city and countyof San Francisco and State air into a IGCBIVGI',

' slotted arcuate bf California, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Wave-Motors, of whlch the following is a specification.

My invention relates to wave motors wherein a pair of collapsible members operate in conjunction with the rise and fall of a float, from which they are suspended,

and the static pressure of the water; and

the object of my invention is, to provide improved means for utilizing the rise and fall of waves for the purpose of compressing I accomplish the above feature by means of the device disclosed in the drawings forming a part of the present specification wherein like characters of reference are used to designate similar parts throughout the said specification and drawings, and in which- Figure 1 is an elevation-of my apparatus suspended from a float. Fig. 2 is an en-' larged sectional view of one of the col- 'nected by means of the pipes 4 with the 'receiver 2. Suspended from each reel 3 by means of" the cables 5 is what'I term, for purposes of illustration, a hollow collapsible member 6. Also wound on each reel 3 are two tubes 7 and 8. The upper end of the tube 7 is connected at thecenter of the reel 3 to the hollow shaft thereof and to the pipe 4.- leading to the receiver 2. The lower end 'of the tube 7 is connected to the interior of the hollow collapsible member 6 and is provided with a suitable check valve 9, which' is arranged to prevent air from the tube 7 from returning into the interiorof the hollow collapsible member 6. A. tube 8 is also wound on each reel 3 and has its upper end open to the atmospherawhile the lower end thereof is connected with the interior of the collapsible member 6 and is provided with a suitable check Valve 10 arranged to prevent the air within the collapsible member 6 from being pressed back into the tube 8.

The collapsible member 6 is composed of whatI term a cover plate 14 of a somewhat smaller diameter than the diameter of the concaved plated-5 forming the body of the collapsible member 6. A flexible water proof material 16, such as oiled canvas, is secured to the edge of the cover plate 14 and the body 15 of the collapsible member 6. In order to relieve the flexible covering 16 of any undue weight or strain I have provided aplurality of sectors 17 pivotally secured at their lower ends to the body plate 15 of the collapsible member 6 and having arcuate slotted. projections 18 at the upper ends thereof, which are pivotally secured in a suitable manner to the cover plate let. The

projections 18 havingslots therein are arouate so that the said projections 18 may accommodate themeselves readily to the downward movement of the cover plate 1% with out binding; A sutlicient space is left be tween each sector in order that the said sectors may move downward with the cover plate 14 when the collapsible member Sis collapsed without binding.

Suspended from the collapsible member 6 by means of a suitable chain 20 is an inverted concaved plate 21. which, for purposes of better illustration, I term a retarding anchor. The anchor 21 is provided with depending rods 22 to the bottom of which is secured a weight 23. The resistance due to inertia of theanchor 21 and its weight 23 1s sufficient to expand the collapsible memher 6 against the static pressure of the sur rounding water when the apparatus is raised by meansof the cable 5. I

- In order to'prevent a too rapid descent of the device when the collapsible member 6 is lowered by the action of the waves on the float l, I haveprovided a number of apertures 24 within the retarding anchor 21, so that only a small amount of water may flow therethrough and thus retard the descent of the retarding anchor 21.

The operation of the apparatus is as fol-,

lows: The'fioa-t 1 is-anchored at some place in the water where it will be subjected to the motion of waves. As one end of the float 1 is raised by the action of the Waves, it

will pull upward on one of the cables 5 and on the cover plate 1% secured to the lower end of the said cable. The resistance due to the inertia of the retarding anchor 21 will resist the upward movement of the collapsible member 6 to a certain extent and con sequently, the cover plate 14 will be moved upward and away from the body plate 15 of the collapsible member 6 and against the static pressure of the surrounding water and the expansion of the said collapsible member 6 will cause the air to be drawn through the tube 8 and check valve 10 at the lower end thereof and into the interior of the said collapsible member-.6. As the crest of the wave is passed and that end of the float 1 descends into the hollow of the waves, the cable 5 will be lowered rapidly but the re tarding anchor 21 will retard the downward movement of the collapsible member 6 and permit the static pressure of the surrounding water, which is pressing downward on the cover plate 14: and the water proofing material 16 and sectors 17 to thereby collapse the collapsible member 6 and force I the air therein past the check valve 9 and through the tube 7, hollow axle of the reel 3 and pipe 4 into the receiver 2. As the float 1 moves downward it will be seen that the retarding anchor 21 will also move downward so that bv the time the collapsible member 6 is collapsed theretarding anchor 21 will have acquired a slightdownwar'd momentum. This momentum will assist in holding the body plate 15 of the collapsible member 6 against the next upward pull of the cable 5, so that the said collapsible mem her 6 will be expanded rapidly, not only by upward pulling on the cable 5, but by the downward movement of the collapsible member 6 and the retarding anchor 21 suspended therefrom. l I

It is obvious that by suspending a collapsible member 6 from each end of the float, that while one collapsible member is being collapsed the other will be expanded. Consequently, at all times a steady flow of air will be compressed into the receiver from which point it may be readily conveyed to a desirable air motor, not shown, and transformed into work.

It is obvious from the foregoing that I have provided improved means for utilizing the rise and fall of waves for the purpose of compressing air into a receiver.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is I 1. A wave motor comprising a suitable float; an air receiver on the float; a pair of collapsible members suspended from the float and arranged to be expanded and to take in air when raised by the .action of waves on the float and to be collapsed by the pressure of the surrounding water and to compress air into the receiver when the said collapsible members are lowered by the action of waves on the float.

2. A wave motor comprising a suitable float; an air receiver on the float a pair of collapsible members suspended from the float and arranged'to be' expanded and to take in air when raised by the action of 'waves on the float and to be collapsed by waves on the float and to be collapsed by the pressureof the surrounding water and to compress air into the receiver when the saidcollapsjible members are lowered by theaction of waves on the float; and a retarding anchor secured to each collapsible member and adapted to retard the downward and upward movement thereof.

4. A wave motor comprising a suitable float; an air receiver on the float; a pair of collapsible members suspended from the float a tube connected with each collapsible member and the receiver; a second tube con- 95 neeted to each collapsible member and the atmosphere, said collapsiblemembers being adapted to be expanded when raised by the action of the waves on the float and to draw in air through the tube leading to the atmosphere and to be collapsed by the pressure of surrounding water when lowered by the action of waves on the float and to force the air in the collapsible member through the first mentioned tube into the receiver; and a retarding anchor suspended from each collapsible member and adapted to retard the upward and downward movement of each collapsible member.

5. A wave motor comprising a suitable float; an air receiver on the float; a pair of collapsible members suspended from the float; a tube connected with each collapsible member and the receiver; a second tube connected to each collapsible member and the atmosphere, said collapsible members being adapted to be expanded when raised by the action of the waves on the float and to draw in air through the tube leading to the atv mosphere and to be collapsed by the pressure of surrounding water when lowered by the action of waves on the float and to force the air in the collapsible. member through the first mentioned tube into the receiver; a

retarding anchorsuspended from each col- 125,

lapsible men'rbcr and adapted to retard the upward and downward movement of each collapsible member; means for preventing the air from escaping through the second mentioned tube when the collapsiblemember' 1 0 is collapsed; and means for preventing air from escaping through the first mentioned tube when the collapsible member is expanded. v

6. A wave motor comprising a suitable float; an air receiver on the float; a pair of collapsible members suspended from the float; a tube connected with each collapsible member and the receiver ;4 a second tube connected to each collapsible member and the atmosphere; said collapsible member being adapted to be expanded when raised by the action of the waves on'the float and to draw in air through. the tube leading to the atmosphere and to be collapsed by the pres sure of surrounding water when lowered by the action of waves on the float and to force the air in the collapsible member through the first mentioned tube into the receiver; a'

witnesses.

' HERBERT E. FISHER.

\Vitnesses F. A. Smmnns, James F. MoCUE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0.- 

